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E. A. M cMURTRY. EXPRESSION ORGAN KEYBOARD.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25, l9l6.

Patented Aug. It), 1919.

' o EDWARD L MCMURTBY, OI CllIICAG-O, ILLINQIS.

nxrnnsszon' oneemxsnosnn.

p c n of we" Intent. Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

application filed September 25,1918. Beiiaillo. 128,068.

To all whom if my concern."

Beit known that I, EDWARD A. MoMtma citizen of the United States, residing TRY at lhicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented Expression Orgen-Keyboards, of which the following is a specification.

. at the same time, he may The object of my invention is to produce an organ which is highly expressive from the keys, like a; piano, and this object is attained by my expression organ keyboard which brings full and complete control of the swell shades under the fingers of the artist as he plays on the keys with varying degrees of force, thereby allowing him to play with both hands and both feet and to control two or more independent swells while closing'anotlier in playing on two boards.

I deem it advisable to state that in some organs all the ewe shades are connected together and move at the same time, the degree of'opening: overnmg the power of tone emitted. In at er organs the swell shades keyopen one after another, each to its full extent,'the number of shades open governing the power of tone emitted. In swells of this typeeach shade is operated by a se arate pneumatic motor which is control ed by an electropneumatic relay, each relay be-.

ing actuated by closing a fine silver contact at the key-desl I shall describe my-invention as applied to swells ofthis type operat in in a series. a

y invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention in position on an organ. F1 2 shows an end view of my invention a" one. Fig. 3 is do tail view of contact frame with wire contacts in position. Fig. 4 is detail view of valve in damping pneumatic bufier. Fi 5 represents an ordinary swell box showing two shades of the series type, one be ng open, and speaking pipes inthe swell box Fig. 6 is a diagram 0 electrical connectlons.

Like numbers indicate like parts in all This valve is shown in detail in Fig. 4 and the figures.

Elongated inflexible member 1, of wood be opening one 01" other suitable material is fastened 10 of insulating material, shaped as shown,

has pegs of insulating materia face 13. Onflface 14 contact wires 1]. are fastened. Eachwire has its free end passing into one'of the narrow elongated openings formed between the insulating pegs 12. flhe free ends of these contact wires, which are ofsilver 'platinum or other suitable material, project over edge 15 about i" or more and lie flat against face 13 which adjusts them in perfect horizontal alinement. 1 This contact device is rigid] fastenediin such relative. position to inc ined contact strip 9 that, as strip 9 rises 'withjmember 1 it -touches and lifts one. wire contact 11 after another until all contact wires rest on strip 9 when stop fi checksfurther motion of member 1. As each contact wire touches edge 9 electrical connection is made and the electropneumatic relay 30, Fig. 5, in the circuit thus closed allows air to enter its particular pneumatic motor- 31 and causes its articular swell shade 32 to fly 0 en.' Flexi le wire 23 establishes electrics. connection driven a1-..-1g

Cable 24' carries an insulated wire for each contact wire 11. There are usually 15 to 20 shades on a swell box and there will he, therefore, as many contact wires 11 as there are shades. Walls of the swell are represented at 33, Fig. 5.

Small pneumatic buffer '16 is composed of face 17 and iece 18 which is fastened to member 1. iece 17, of wood or suitable material is held in a fixed position by bracket 19', and has in' it valve at hole 20.

.air must escape through 22 which is quite IOU a bit smaller. This outfer acts as a damper for member 1 'for it does not allow it to fall back to its original down osition too guiekly and et it allows mem r 1 to rise 5 instantly an easily when keysare struck forcibly against it on strip of felt 4.

Dunn bellows eeps mem r 1 in a reasonably quiet state andv prevents unnecessary or oblo iectionable flutterin of the swell shades.

Organ keys are s own at 27, 27', etc. It is desirable that a. separate spring-'29 (or 29, etc.) be placed under each key as shown.

, This spring does not touch; the key until it 16 (key). is depressed such a distance that key tail touches. the felt balling strip 4 on membar 1. When the key has reached this point it just touches spring'29 also, which is very Still and acts as an auxiliary with spring 7 20 'in resistin further downward movement of by the key. he auxiliary springs under each key prevent the playing or striking of one hand being felt by the other through Incmher. 1 when playing on one keyboard entirelly.

T e operation of my invention is as follows As in all organs keys 2?, 27, etc., operate pipe contacts in box 26 through arms 25 so which rest on the extreme ends of keytails as the one shown. This forms no part of my vention.

- ow, when any key (or keys) is depressed the-pipe contacts in box 26 are closed and the eleetropneumatic actions 35, 35', etc., cause the pipes 134,34, etc., to speak as usual. But asthe key (or group of keys) travels downward it touches spring 29 (or 29", etc.) and at. the same instant the keytail (or group of keytails) touches felt bullin strip 4 on member 1, and (1) if very lig t pressure was used in depressing the key (or keys) spring 29 (29', etc.) and spring Z on member will be strong enough to arrest further motion of the key (or group'of keys) and member I will not be moved upward at all therefore.

As a result the swell shades will remain in their normal closed position because none of 53 the contact wires 11 have made contact with i strip 9. The pipes, therefore, speak in a closed swell box and their tone is extremely (2) ,If moderately heavy force was used 65 springs 29 or 29', etc.) and 7 will not be strong enou h to prevent the key (or keys) from moving member 1 and member 1 will move upward against the keytail (or tails)- until the pressure of the springs ust halances the pressure exerted on the keys. This will not be a. full movement of member 1 and o as a result a few of the contact wires 11 will rest on contact strip 9, which has moved up with member 1, and the swell shades controlled by these particular contacts will in staccato playing this motor' or Member 1 has traveled a contact strip 9 has touched and lifted all the swell contact wires 11 and all the swell shades fly open. As a result the pipes speak as before, butwith all the swells open and their tone is very powerful, the full power of the pipes.

It will be seen that the volume of tone (number of swell shades open) is perfectly and com letely controlled by the pressure used in p aying on the organ keys.

My invention is applicable to any type of swell but for sake of simplicity I selected the series type in the above discussion.

The only requirement is that the contact switch must correspond to the swell in use. This switch is generally a simple modification of that used on, the present balanced swell pedal, which is the only means of full swell control at the present time.

Neither is my invention confined to electric organs for it may be applied to others as well. V

In an organ of two or more keyboardsand two or more swells or swell boxes, anyswell or swells may be controlled from any keyboard by a simple coupling well known and understood by those familiar with organ building. In such an organ it is necessary to have one control mechanism. such as described, for each keyl'iourd' rendered expressive.

1. An organ comprising swell shutters, one or more electro-pneuu'nitic actions for operating the same, switches for lucingthe actions successively in and out 0 operation, playing keys, and means controlled by said keys at will for actuating one or more of said switches. 1

2. In an organ, the combination of swell mechanism includiuga motor clement. playing mechanism, keys for operatin said playing mechanism. and an elongate inflexible member controlling said motor element and operable by each of said keys.

3. In an electric organ, the combinationof a key, tone-emitters controlled by the same. an electric circuit having a plurality of branches, a. plurality of operating devices, one in each branch. means for varying the power of tone emitted by said tone emitters which havebeen sounded by said hey, said means being operable by said operating dev1ces,and means actuated by said key for completin the circuit through any number of sai branches.

4. Ann" comprising playing keys each rgan 15 mounted to be depressed variable distances,

each of said keys and adapted-to cldse the circuit throughla variable number- ,of .said branches 'therebyoperating a variabl number of said sw'ell shades, the number d'e ndin upon the extent of depression .0 said eys. V 5. In an organ, the combination of expression shades, pneumatic motors .for operating the same, an .electric circuit having a plurality'of branches, a plurality of electropneumatic relays, one in each branch, controlling the admission of air to said motors, means or successively completing the circuit through any number of said branches, keys actuating said means, and organ tone emitters controlled by said keys;

.6. An or n comprising playing keys, a separate resilient means for each key servin to limit the depression of the same,-soun producing devices controlled by said keys, swell mechanism, an electric circuit having a plurality of branches, a plurality of contacts," one for each branch, a plurality of electro-pneumatic actions, one in each branch, for 0' rating said swell mechanism,

1'; a contact run or operable by said keys and 'gulapted tocngage said contacts successively,

' tbere'by closing the circuits through a variable niimber of said branches, the number depending upon the force used in playing on said key. 7 j

7. An organ mmprisingplayin keys, an elongated inflexible member operaEle by said keys, and a multiple switch actuated by said member.

8. In an organ the combination of playing keys, swell shades, actuating mechanism therefor, means for controlling said actuatlug mechanism, said means being operable at will by each of said keys.

9. An organ comprising playing keys, an

,of said keys.

'elongated inflexible member operable by said keys, and a phl'rality of switches successively actuatable by said member.

10. An organ com )rismg playing keys,

swell mechanism inc uding actuating elements, control devices for said actuating elements, said devices being operable by said' keys v 11. An organ compr sm playing keys, electro-pneun'iatic swelLmee mmsm, multiple switches for control thcrepf. and means actui ated at will by each of said keys for control- 1 ling the operation of said switches.

12. An organ comprising playing, keys, I

electro-pneumatic swells, m'ultiple switches for control thereof, and means for'operatin one or more of said switches at will by ea'c i 13. An electric organ comprising playing keys, electro-pneumati swell shades, multiple contact switchmcchanism for controlling said 'swell shades, and means 'actuatul h each of said keys for controlling'said switcii mechanism.

14. An organ comprising swell mechanism including 0 rating elements and keys e0ntrolling sai elements, said keys also controlling the organ tone-emitters.

15. In an organ the combination of a plurality of keys, a plurality of electric switches, and means controlled by each of said keys at will for actuating one or more of said switches. i

16. In anorgali rnlity of keys, each mounted to be depressed I variable distances, a series of switches operthe combination of a plu-.

atively connected with said keys, one or more of said switches being operable at will by each of said keys, the number. depending upon the amountof'deprewiion of said keys.

17.-An organ comprising: a plurality of keys, each mounted to be depme-ased variable distanm's, an elongatml inflexible member operable by said keys, electric switches adapted to be actuated sucwssively by said member, the number :uztnated depending upon the force used in dcpl'essingsuld keys.

EDVVARl) A. MolliUll'lltY. 

